PATIENT SAFETY AT THE HEART OF LABOR’S HEALTH REFORMS

Media Release

A Labor Government will put the public first and focus on patient safety as it repairs the Newman Government’s damage to Queensland’s public health system.
Opposition Leader Annastacia Palaszczuk today announced a Labor Government would invest $110 million over four years to ensure patient safety and quality health care as well as legislate to ensure nurse-to-patient ratios that were based on safety.
“The Newman Government has cut more than 4,800 positions from our hospitals and health services including nearly 1,800 nurses and midwives,” Ms Palaszczuk said.
“The LNP also systematically dismantled the mechanisms for auditing patient safety and investigating complaints.
“As a result, far less attention is being paid to patient safety and the quality of health care. There are fewer resources to monitor patient safety and to prevent poor patient outcomes.
“When clinical staff are pushed beyond their personal and professional limits, with an unsafe workload or very long hours, patient care is bound to suffer.
“There is a better way.”
Ms Palaszczuk said a Labor Government would refocus Queensland’s health system on patient safety and repair the damage of the Newman Government.
“Quality care for Queensland patients should be driven by professional commitment and adequate staffing,” she said.
“That’s why Labor will recruit an extra 400 positions over four years to rebuild services slashed by the Newman Government.
“We will also introduce legislation to guarantee safe nurse-to-patient ratios so burses aren’t expected to do more with less.
“Under Labor, there will be a comprehensive audit of patient safety and there will be a service agreement with Health Consumers Queensland to advocate independently for patients and their families.
“We will restore patient care for Queenslanders to be at the heart of planning, design, delivery, monitoring and evaluation of hospital and health services.”
The 400 new nurses will assist patients through every stage of their treatment, from GP referral, through hospital care and recovery at home.
Labor will also review the role of the Health Ombudsman as an appropriate agency for ensuring patient safety and improvements in clinical care and health service management.
Ms Palaszczuk said there was sound evidence from Australia and around the world that mandated nurse to patient ratios improved the quality of care, improved health outcomes for patients, reduced re-admission rates and reduced post-operative mortality rates.
“The additional cost of ensuring appropriate nurse bedside hours is recouped through the reduced costs of better service delivery and better patient outcomes,” she said.
Ms Palaszczuk said there were crucial differences between Labor and the LNP on health care.
“Over the last three years we have seen massive cuts to budgets and the number of staff in our hospitals and health services,” she said.
“Under the LNP, health services are focussed on cost cutting and annual ‘efficiency requirements’ rather than patient care, patient safety and improvements in patient outcomes.
“In contrast, Labor believes we need to move beyond the rhetoric of ‘patient centred care’ to build a health system that respects people’s dignity, confidentiality and autonomy when it comes to making decisions about their health care.
“Public confidence in our health system must be restored. Only Labor has a plan to do that.”
In brief Labor’s Nursing Guarantee: patient safety first policy has five elements.
1. funding an extra 400 nursing positions;
2. auditing patient safety and quality improvement functions and re-establishing the patient safety and quality improvement service;
3. establishing a service agreement with Health Consumers Queensland to give patients and their families a voice;
4. legislating a safe nurse to patient ratio;

5. reviewing the role of the Health Ombudsman.